Oakland County employers – with the support of Oakland County Michigan Works! – were awarded thefunds to hire and train 324 new employees, expand the skills of 1,100 existing workers and create 45 newregistered apprenticeships during the year.

“The needs of our employers across the county continue to evolve and the state’s Going PRO Talent Fundplays a key role in hiring and training people with the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow,” OaklandCounty Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. “I congratulate each company that will be receiving a grant.”

Since 2013, county employers have received more than $7.5 million of Going PRO Talent Fund grants fromOakland County Michigan Works! and the state. Workers will be trained and receive industry-recognizedcredentials in advanced manufacturing, software development, construction trades and robotic operations.

“We had unprecedented interest in this program across the county,” said Jennifer Llewellyn, workforcedevelopment manager for Oakland County. “Given the demand for these available training funds not onlyhere but across the state, I’m very happy so many of our companies received grants.”

Llewellyn said the Oakland County Michigan Works! team worked diligently to help employers apply for thegrants.

“Working closely with our staff, the companies had a short window to complete their applications and it’sgratifying to see their hard work pay off,” she said.